Families of service members killed in action affected by shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) - Among those feeling the impact of the partial government shutdown are families of service members killed in action.

Survivors are typically sent a $100,000 payment within three days, to help with costs such as funeral expenses. But because of the shutdown, officials say the Defense Department doesn't have the authority to make the payments -- even though most of the department's civilian workers have been recalled.

Some 350,000 civilian Defense Department workers were summoned back to work yesterday as the result of legislation Congress passed and Obama signed after the shutdown began. Many other agencies, such as NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency, remain mostly shuttered.